Date:10/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/10/stories/2008091058830100.htm

Front Page

Centre accepts High Court proposal

J. Venkatesan

Steps to be taken to appoint two senior additional judges as permanent judges

K. Chandru

New Delhi: The Centre has accepted the proposal of the Madras High Court that the vacancies of two judges following the shifting of Justice S. Ashok Kumar and Justice S.R. Singaravelu to Andhra Pradesh and Orissa High Courts respectively be treated as permanent vacancies to be filled by two senior additional judges.

Since the present strength of permanent judges in the High Court is 33, the High Court wanted the two vacancies to be filled. However, even after the two judges were transferred, they were continued to be treated as permanent judges of the Madras High Court and as a result two additional judges could not become permanent. In the meanwhile Tamil Nadu Advocates Association President S. Prabakaran wrote to Union Law Minister H.R. Bhardwaj pointing out the anomaly and urged him to reconsider the decision.

V. Ramasubramanian

Law Ministry sources said that the Centre after examining the proposal decided to treat the two vacancies as permanent. Steps would soon be taken to appoint two senior additional judges, Justice K. Chandru and Justice V. Ramasubramanian, as permanent judges, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the TNAA has welcomed the Centre’s notification increasing the sanctioned strength of judges in the Madras High Court from 49 to 60. In a memorandum to Mr. Bhardwaj, Mr. Prabakaran said that it would help in reducing the backlog of cases considerably and thereby the faith of the people in justice delivery system would be strengthened.

However, he said the number of permanent judges in the Bombay High Court, which earlier had a sanctioned strength of 60 (now it has been raised to 75), was much more than 33 permanent judges sanctioned to Madras High Court.